RELATIONSHIP TO ILLINOIS:
My late wife Maureen Thomas (1952-2023) was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois.

EXPLAIN THE MEANING BEHIND YOUR FLAG:
The idea of mine is simply an embellishment to the existing flag (helps to save money on an entire new design). Placing red and blue vertical bars on each end (with a narrow white stripe in between the colors) eliminates the ‘seal-on-bedsheet’ look. Not overly imaginative, but practical and economic.